Broken Locks Christmas Edition
by MarilynnRae
Summary: It's Rosalie's first Christmas with the team, but it due to weather, it doesn't look like Nate will make it in time. Broken Locks A/U thingy. Purely for the holiday spirit!


_**I wrote this because I knew I wouldn't be able to get to Christmas in the story in the next four days, but I wanted to write a Christmas story with Anna and Rosalie for you all in time for Christmas. I don't know why, but I really wanted to write this as thought it took place over the hiatus. There will probably be a rewrite of Rosalie's first Christmas with the team that is appropriately written into Broken Locks. Consider this a slightly AU of Broken Locks written purely out of inspiration of the holiday season.**_

_**Rosalie and Anna are with Sophie, Nate was on the boat, but promised to be back for Christmas. **_

"We're getting a _real_ Christmas tree right, Mom?" I asked Sophie as we carried armfuls of bags and pushed Rosalie stroller. Sophie was dressed in a royal red sweater dress with her hair tied around to the side while Rosalie was dressed in a red and white frilly dress with white tights and black buckle shoes. I on the other hand decided to go with black leggings and a grey sweater dress. Sophie almost always made sure we were dressed nice when we went out in public.

I had officially been with Sophie and Nate for a year now and this Christmas felt like my first real Christmas ever. Well, except for the fact Nate wasn't home yet and neither were the others. We all agreed to spend Christmas together. We'd meet in Chicago and spend it in the penthouse the three of us were currently living in. Nate usually was with us too, but a week out of every month he would go out on his new boat. Sophie once made the comment that she was beginning to wonder if he had another woman out there on the boat as well. She was just joking, but I could tell that she always missed him when he was gone.

Rosalie hated the weeks without Nate. The day Nate leaves Rosalie is the most difficult child imaginable and the day he returns she refuses to let go of him. Then again, when Nate returns, it always seems like the same thing. Rosalie runs to him and hugs him, he gives her a kiss on the cheek, Sophie goes to him next with a hot kiss on the lips followed by a hug, and I wait until he opens his free arm to me and we all hold each other. We're a real family now.

"Yes, we're getting a real tree. Eliot just has to pick it up and bring it in for us. There's no way you and I can do it with Rose," she replied nodding and smiling to the doorman as we walked into our building.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. McAdams," George, the doorman, said pleasantly as he held the door for us. George was by far my favorite doorman. His hair silver hair and friendly wrinkles reminded me of what I used to imagine my own grandpa like, if I had ever known him. He always had a smile and he treated us like royalty. Maybe he treated all the residents like that, but I really liked it. "Go out shopping with the girls?" He smiled at Rosalie and me. "Good afternoon, Miss Lacey and Miss Abigail."

"Good afternoon, sir," I replied sweetly. "Mom was just telling us that we have to wait for our uncle to bring us out Christmas tree. You do get to go home soon, don't you? It's not fair for you to work all day on Christmas Eve."

George sighed a little but shrugged. "Oh, I usually volunteer to work on Christmas. The other young lads have families to go home to. My wife died a long time ago, it's just me. No sweet grandchildren either, but it's lovely having you and your sister around, Miss Lacey. Speaking of being home for Christmas, when can we expect Mr. McAdams home?"

Sophie's face fell a little. "He was supposed to come in last night, but there have been so many flight delays that he told us to prepare for the worst; he may not make it home for Christmas."

George frowned at that. "Well, Ma'am, I will keep you all in my prayers. God has a way of making things happen for Christmas. You all the sweetest family I know as well."

Sophie gave a sad nod and patted his arm. "You have a Merry Christmas, George."

We hadn't even noticed Rosalie had fallen asleep until we made it into the elevator. Noticing Sophie's sad expression, I nudged her a little and rested my head on her shoulder. "He won't miss Christmas, Mom, I'm sure of it."

Sophie sighed a little. "It's just, it's Rosalie's first Christmas with us and things have changed so much from last year. Damn that boat," she muttered bitterly.

The elevator dinged and Sophie swiped her card to allow us access to the pent house. As we walked in we were immediately greeted by Parker eating my Fruitloops and Hardison putting his orange soda supply into the refrigerator as well as Phantom sniffing the bags with curousity. Unlike Nate, Sophie didn't really mind her home being invaded anymore. After all, a two year old kind of breaks you of needing personal space.

Parker jumped up and ran toward us. Her headband has reindeer antlers and bells on them and she shook them extra loud as she pulled me into a hug before I could even drop the shopping bags.

"I missed you!" she exclaimed pulling away from me. It was too late to shush her, Rosalie was already awake and cranky as ever. Sophie grumbled and set down her own bags to pull the toddler from the stroller. She gave me a once over before sniffing me slightly. "You seem different."

I gave her a funny look, but didn't bother addressing it. It wasn't like we hadn't seen each other since the Dubenich incident. There were plenty of times we had seen each other since then. Especially since she didn't want to leave my side after my little attempt at a solo con gone terribly wrong in Detroit only a month or so after our farewells. _**(A/N: Yes, that is a hint at what is to come.)**_ Apparently more than two weeks without contact is way too much for Parker and me.

"How do I look different than when you saw me at Thanksgiving?" I asked her. She shrugged and didn't reply before looking at Rosalie and Sophie and deciding she'll greet them when Rosalie stopped her crying.

Hardison came over and gave me a fist bump. "Merry Christmas, sis."

Looking around I noticed that they had already stacked their presents in the corner of the room, a place that awaited the Christmas tree that was supposed to be delivered by Eliot when he arrived.

Just then the bell rang and I ran to open the door. Speak of the devil. Of course all I could see was tree and a couple of suitcases. "Eliot!" I cheered, but was cut off by his grumble.

"Get out of the way so I can get this damn thing put up."

Rolling my eyes, I stepped out of the way of the door. As he passed I lowered my voice. "Bah, humbug, Eliot Scrooge!"

Eliot didn't reply, just grumbled at Phantom to get out of his way again.

Sophie chuckled at me as Rosalie drifted back asleep. She was not a kid to be woken up before her nap was done. Picking up his suitcases, I kicked the door shut behind me. Parker jumped up and ran toward the tree. All of the new Christmas decorations for the tree were laid out against the fireplace and Parker wasted no times grabbing the lights to begin.

"Hey! We can't decorate the tree without Rosalie," Sophie told her as urgently and quietly as possible, glad to get Rose back to peace.

"We'll put the lights and stuff on, we'll wait for the tinsel and ornaments until she wakes up," I told her, using my big brown eyes to help me win her over. "_Please._"

Finally she sighed and agreed. "Alright, but wait for me, okay? I'm going to put her to bed."

She disappeared down the hallway and came back barefoot and her hair down. Still, Sophie never looked completely relaxed unless Nate was home too. Eliot made a casual dinner while the rest of us giggled and had fun putting up the tree. A real feast would wait for tomorrow evening.

Sophie pulled me into her arms and pressed her lips to the back of my head. On my birthday I told her that I would never get too old to need my mother and sometimes I felt like I never wanted to grow up. She let go of me after one last squeeze to make us hot chocolate.

Hardison blared Christmas music throughout the place and Parker and I danced around the living room, barefoot and happy, every now and then making Phantom join us by holding onto his front paws. Still, it wasn't quite Christmas without Nate.

"Momma," Rosalie muttered, rubbing her eyes as she slid on the hardwood floor in her white tights. Hardison reached out to be sure she didn't fall, and turned off the music. Sophie placed her cup on the coffee table and kneeled down so the little girl could come to her. "Is Daddy home yet, Momma?"

My heart broke. The silence in the room told me that everyone else was just as emotional about it as well. "Sweetie, it looks like Daddy may not make it home before Santa comes." Sophie's voice cracked slightly as she pulled the girls into her arms.

Rosalie looked up at her tearfully. "But Momma, he promised."

"I know, love, but all the snow outside makes it hard for airplanes to get people home. I wish he was here too." Sophie pulled her back to give her a reassuring smile. "But why don't you help the other's decorate the tree and I'll go try and call Daddy again?"

Rosalie nodded slowly and Parker and Eliot led her back to the tree, offering her ornaments to hand on the tree. Sophie moved toward the kitchen with her phone to her ear. But it looked like Rosalie's first Christmas with the family would be spent without our father.

I looked down at the gifts under the tree. I'd give them all up so that Nate could make it home in time for Christmas.

Hardison and Parker took my bedroom, Eliot took the guest bedroom, and even though Rosalie's room was vacant she was bunking with me and Sophie tonight. Rosalie was curled into one of Sophie's shoulders as I rested my head on her other. She was reading us T_he Grinch that Stole Christmas_, Rosalie's favorite.

"Why would someone steal Christmas, Mommy?" Rosalie asked her as he touched the smooth pages of the Dr. Sues book. "Can the Grinch steal Christmas this year and give it back when Daddy comes home?"

Sophie sighed and kissed the top of her bangs. "Kiddo, I don't think that's how it works, but I'm sure Daddy will be home as soon as he can."

Deep down, I knew Sophie was hoping that Nate wasn't in a bar somewhere drowning his memories of Sam at Christmas time. He didn't like Christmas and part of the reason he went off on the boat so close to Christmas was because he wanted to be alone with his pain. He wasn't answering his phone and that make her even more nervous.

Personally I hoped that Nate would choose us over his memories.

"Why don't we all try and go to sleep? The sooner we fall asleep the sooner Santa comes," Sophie told Rosalie as she pulled the covers higher.

"After the story?" Rosalie begged.

Sophie sighed. "After the story."

*TEAM*

Nate crept into the bedroom just after five o'clock in the morning. For a brief moment, he took in the sight of Sophie with their two girls curled in beside her, a forgotten book dropped across her chest. Then he gently leaned over Rosalie to kiss Sophie on the lips.

She startled awake, but beamed at the man before her. He was dusted with snow and his nose and lips were cold from the outside temperature. He gently shushed her as she tried to free herself from the girls without waking them. Carefully, she got out of bed and they embraced each other before finding each other's lips.

"I thought the flights were grounded," she whispered as she grabbed her robe and Nate changed into his pajamas.

"They were," he told her, wrapping his arm around her waist and they moved toward the living room so they didn't have to worry about waking the girls.

Sophie gave him a raised eyebrow. "You drove from the docks. There's no way-"

Sophie noticed there was another person standing in her kitchen. She raised her eyebrows and turned back to Nate. "Anna called in a favor?"

Nate nodded again before kissing her lips. "Anna called in a favor."

Sophie pulled sheets and extra blankets from the linen closet before setting up for Santa's arrival. She had insisted Nate go on to bed so that he could have a little bit of time to sleep before everyone was up. She told them that there was absolutely no one allowed out of their rooms before seven.

Still, at six thirty, everyone was woke by Rosalie's excited shrill as she opened her eyes to see her Daddy in the bed next to her.

"Daddy!" she cheered jumping up and landing right on his chest. Sophie and Anna both jumped awake. Nate and Sophie were on the furthest sides of the bed, leaving the two girls in the middle between them. But the moment both girls saw Nate it was nearly a dog pile.

"Dad! You made it!" Anna cheered throwing her arms around his neck as he tried to sit up.

"Like you had nothing to do with it," he teased. Anna gave him her classic crooked grin and shrugged. "He's in the family room-"

And just like that Anna was gone, completely forgotten father still getting attacked by a monstrous two year old. Still, he looked a little hurt. Sophie laughed at him and leaned across the bed to kiss him.

"Come on, you're not the only man in her life anymore," she teased.

"Don't worry Daddy, I still love you!" Rosalie told him as she beamed at him.

*Anna*

I ran into the living room and noticed a lump of a human under blankets on the couch. Moving quietly over the floor, I hopped over the back of the couch and landed in the center.

"Uff!" the covers grumbled, but reacted fast enough to seize me by the waist and roll us both on to the floor.

Quinn looked down at me with a sleepy daze and I beamed back at him. His knees were on either side on my hips and his hands were pinning down my wrists.

"Not that I mind too much, but I suggest we get up before my parents come in," I told him lightly.

He smiled back at me before standing and pulling me to my feet. His blond hair was now cut short and he was wearing only pajama pants, no shirt. "Good morning," he told me as a smile spread across his lips.

I went up on my tippy toes and kissed his lips. "Merry Christmas," I whispered against them.

"Okay you two, break it up. No one likes seein that," Hardison grumbled as he walked in wearing his R2D2 pajamas followed by an already springy Parker.

"Hi Quinn! Where'd you come from?" Parker asked, even though we still hadn't moved from our spot.

There was a throat clearing from the hallway that finally made us jump several feet apart as Eliot came into the room. "Yeah, where'd you come from?"

"Relax, guys, he was my ride."

Nate, Sophie, and Rosalie appeared into the hallway. Rosalie laying comfortably in Nate's arms. Parker immediately ran to him and hugged him and Nate grunted as he stumbled back a little.

Quinn's hand found mine and we walked into the kitchen together, ignoring the glare Eliot was sending us as we did so. I hopped up on the counter and reached for one of the cookies Rose left for Santa last night as I grinned at him. "Thank you," I told him as he came closer to me.

He gave me a shrug. "Anytime."

Putting the cookie down, I draped my arms over his shoulder and looked him square in the eye. "No really. You just made this the best Christmas I could ever ask for."

Quinn once again shrugged. "Nate would have found away. He was working on a plan when I found him."

Pulling him a little closer I shook my head. "But it wouldn't have been the same without you."

Again, our lips met.

*TEAM*

Nate grumbled as he sat on the floor. "Will you two hurry? We can't open presents until you two are in here!"

Sophie rolled her eyes at him. "Come on, Nate. They haven't seen each other in a month. What would do you think I'd do if I hadn't seen you—" Suddenly she looked alarmed as well. "Come on, Anna! Presents!"

Eliot drummed his fingers against the floor. "Ten seconds before I go in there…"

Sure enough, Anna and Quinn came around the corner and joined the rest of the team on the couch. They all laughed and opened gifts, but in the end it didn't matter what they received, they were just happy to be a family on Christmas.

_**Okay, cheesy ending but, COME ON Christmas is a cheesy time. Anyway. This is purely for fun. I hope you Broken Locks fans enjoyed it. **_


End file.
